Yeah, I post about my stuff and I'm lucky to get more than one comment (I appreciate any feedback I have had though!). But that's fine, I don't always have time to listen to what others post, and when I do listen I often don't leave a comment - a symptom of always feeling like I'm in a rush, maybe.

I've made mixes and stuff that have had zero listens, which is kinda disappointing when I've put time and effort into it, but I guess I content myself with just being happy with it myself. I'm putting loads of work into my first full length album, I stress over it too and will do even more when it gets down to the finishing touches... and almost certainly no one will ever hear it (other than me and my wife - and not by choice for her ).

It is different for me, of course. I'm new to all this and have never had a following of any kind, so I suppose it would be depressing to see a following falling rather than growing. From my position, I'm sure, even if I got amazingly good at producing music, I'd be lucky to get more than a handful of people listening to my album. As has been said, there's too much music out there for that to happen. And I'm a symptom of it.

I do keep thinking I should just stop, I almost have a few times - it does seem a bit silly to make music that only I will ever hear. But I have ideas now that I want to get out, so I'll try and do that. And then maybe I'll stop

I had a peek on your Twitter and to be honest if I had to deal with someone like that, I'd be tempted to do exactly the same. They seem to be saying they're trying to help you, but it seems like an all-out attack to me. I think there might be a bit of truth to a couple of things they say - trying to forge an individual identity probably works better than comparing yourself to another artist, in my experience - but they were all also exaggerating it a lot and seemed to be stalking your online presence. Somebody with no outlet themselves trying to drag someone else down (see also: music critics). Please don't let one idiot like that totally ruin your experience!

As a few others have said in this thread, the online music world is just so saturated these days that it's almost impossible to get attention. Finding a 'scene' to be part of can help; if you strike out on your own, you gotta have a really strong vibrant personality to get people to notice you. A few years ago I managed to get quite a few fans on SoundCloud, which gave me hundreds of listeners, but it was just a crossing of paths - my music, for a few months, fit a certain zeitgeist of a certain group of SC users. When I started throwing beats back in and stuff they all frittered away quickly enough, and until about a year ago I was totally out on my own.

So maybe you're right to take a break from it all. It completely ties in with what I said earlier - There's nothing like trying to promote your work to make you wish for those halcyon days when you were just messing about on your own without any expectations. - and that 'return to roots' thing can be really creatively refreshing. As long as you makes some stuff for yourself then that's great. And when you feel like coming back, as Pandemonium says, make sure you let some of us know at least. If you ever need suggestions for what labels to pitch your stuff at I'm happy to help - I spend way too many hours trying to scope out labels for myself so it's all lodged in my head.

As for this place, yeah it's pretty quiet these days. My ID thread gets the occasional response, for which I'm hugely grateful, but generally the music making forum isn't a thriving hub of excitement - although I'm sure most people give most releases at least a quick listen. Thankfully I've pushed my music enough elsewhere that my name's managed to lodge itself into some poor unsuspecting bastards' minds!

I felt like Jason lot of times as i have a minor lsiteners and lot of people that i´m know never listened a fucking shit of my music, is easy on these times live a net life talking shit as trolls on facebook or twitter and fuck minds and mentals on a day for a simple smile from another...i´m very tired about how works the networks to promote people who try make music on these days , and imagine if Herd had bad comments, what a incredible ball of shit can say about my music for example, as minor technics on my sounds etc...well if i leave my feelings to comments from people who surely never listen me, or simply i´m not Richard D.James...well , i only try make my music, not search for next Aphex Twin...people who put bad comments try compares and not deep on your own sound 100%

i.e. comment on a spanish magazine , very indie pop magazine, out of tech , electronic , ambient, anything that no worked guitar/bass/drums as a band, about my tribute KLF ep...they said my music was like aids about was only drone music....fucking lolipops got a reply about ....sure you(all) have aids on your ears...listen more electronic music bastard! .....in my EP only was used drone on tittle for a track ...but EP have EDM,ambient/noise songs...that was 1 comment from people , indie pop people trying agressive promotion to another spanish band (more on the pop labels) to say thet are the best spanish pop band who covered KLF.....well ... i had lot of good reviews/feedback and 1 bad...fuck that

Anyone who aggressively attacks someone else's music is not worth paying any attention to. If it's a majorly overhyped, mainstream record then perhaps an angry response to a perceived overrating of the record is ok, but when people are nasty about small, possibly struggling artists, they're just being an unnecessary cunt.

My album 'Since Every Hour is Too Late' got an absolute slating on one website - this was a super personal album about struggling with personal issues, on which I dedicated most of the tracks to my girlfriend and parents - and that was really hard to take. I really think 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all' is important with this level of underground stuff. Even silence can be hard - as Jason pointed out - but I do not understand why people have to be shitty about other artists.

As Joaquin says, if someone with the sound design skills of Herd can get shitty comments, what hope do any of us have?

Even though I do not comment much on music threads, I do listen to everything posted! Sometimes I just don't have anything constructed to say other than nicely done which does not quite constitute a worthwhile reply post from me.

OffLand wrote:Even though I do not comment much on music threads, I do listen to everything posted! Sometimes I just don't have anything constructed to say other than nicely done which does not quite constitute a worthwhile reply post from me.

Yeah, same here. I've heard at least something from everyone who's shared. I've commented on a few, but, honestly, I've liked them all, and, as you say, there's not much to say other than "good work". I also kinda felt that at the level most of you guys are at, you're probably fairly secure in already knowing it's good and don't need someone like me saying so... but on second thoughts, it's understandable with any kind of creative expression to probably never feel that confident about it.

totally curious about this twitter troll loli just don't see the point of bashing someone who isn't a kayne or radiohead or even fsol.big enough to even have a "need" to take down when you find music overrated idkconstructive criticism i get totally....but anything other than that is like what kind of life do you have dude lol

can't imagine for a second it's anyone here there are a lot of peeps at watmm and i know for fact there are a few that lurk here but don't post ever

anyway idk...i guess it comes down to desires and expectations. what do you want out of this. for me i'll forever try to find a minute to make music and it's purpose is no more than pleasing my own self and being able to share a piece of me with family and friends. you're going to think this is weird, amateur, just not your cup of tea at all....but you may find a piece of it that sounds cool but ultimately you're hearing a piece of my heart. and this is because of the intent. nothing more but to share this abstract of my heart and soul, spoken to you in a universal language. this is my unique communication to you so, i'm reaching total satisfaction when i simply know you gave it one honest spin. just give me X amount of minutes of your attention and boom i'm thrilled you got to experience it no matter how you took it.

but like i said that's me and all i ever cared about with the music i've made since like high school.i have a vivid memory of an old friend wearing some headphones and listening to a tune i wrote on the guitar while other friends were also hanging out in my room. just closing his eyes and smiling here and there...the occasional "yeahhhhh'"....that was the best. making a career of music would be the best ever because music is all there is to me in this world after family and that human element of love etc. i just never had the expectation at all is the thing. i've never put every ounce of my energy and time into music. i took on a crappy career that gives me some financial security yay.so....no harm no loss for me when it comes to music. it's just all joy to me though i guess i'm speaking out of ignorance having never had someone bash my music.i feel today like my take would just be "don't listen to it then, douche" and kinda not caring much beyond that.

having a desire for more i can totally understand a different sensitivity level. what to say though like others are saying it's just dog eat dog and a sea of a million fish. my wife has all these dreams of an online business growing to the point of opening a store and all this and it's just so hard. personally i can't push myself that hard in a direction where i know the odds are against me. i can't push to be the exception in that respect. i take a safer route but it's one that does give me other types of pain i.e. just hating having the type of career i have and heck yeah i would rather be making and loving music for those hours instead.

all that said my new job is well tied to the music industry so i'm pretty excited to be involved albeit in a different light!

dude don't even stay away for long we're your family herewe're some of the people i was describing abovei listen to lots of stuff made here and rarely commenti know it's poopy but lots of times i'll just put stuff on at work so i'm listening but working and don't have time to get all deep and critical and offer up something thoughtfulmaybe just the promoting and energy you've put into all this is what you really need the break from. like ross said maybe get back to a point where it's just fun to make the music and it's no different than playing video games or going on a hike or whatever else is just.....enjoyable.